“Keep Yourselves in Expectation of Me”

“‘Therefore keep yourselves in expectation of me,’ is the utterance of Jehovah.”—ZEPHANIAH 3:8.

1. What warning was given by the prophet Zephaniah, and of what interest is this to people living today?

“THE great day of Jehovah is near.” This warning cry was uttered by the prophet Zephaniah in the middle of the seventh century B.C.E. (Zephaniah 1:14) Within 40 or 50 years, the prophecy was fulfilled when the day of executing Jehovah’s judgments came upon Jerusalem and upon those nations that had defied Jehovah’s sovereignty by mistreating his people. Why is this of interest to people living at the close of the 20th century? We are living at the time when Jehovah’s final “great day” is fast approaching. Just as in Zephaniah’s time, Jehovah’s “burning anger” is about to blaze against the modern-day equivalent of Jerusalem—Christendom—and all the nations that mistreat Jehovah’s people and defy his universal sovereignty.—Zephaniah 1:4; 2:4, 8, 12, 13; 3:8; 2 Peter 3:12, 13.

Zephaniah—A Courageous Witness

2, 3. (a) What do we know about Zephaniah, and what indicates that he was a courageous witness of Jehovah? (b) What facts enable us to locate the time and place of Zephaniah’s prophesying?

² Little is known of the prophet Zephaniah, whose name (Hebrew, Tsephan·yahʹ) means “Jehovah Has Concealed (Treasured Up).” In contrast with other prophets, however, Zephaniah provided his genealogy to the fourth generation, back to “Hezekiah.” (Zephaniah 1:1; compare Isaiah 1:1; Jeremiah 1:1; Ezekiel 1:3.) This is so unusual that most commentators identify his great-great-grandfather as faithful King Hezekiah. If he was, then Zephaniah was of royal descent, and this would have added weight to his harsh condemnation of the princes of Judah and have shown that he was a courageous witness and prophet of Jehovah. His intimate knowledge of the topography of Jerusalem and of what was going on in the royal court suggests that he may have proclaimed Jehovah’s judgments in the capital itself.—See Zephaniah 1:8-11, footnotes.

³ Noteworthy is the fact that, while Zephaniah proclaimed divine judgments against the civil “princes” of Judah (nobles, or tribal chiefs) and “the sons of the king,” he never mentioned the king himself in his criticism.a (Zephaniah 1:8; 3:3) This suggests that young King Josiah had already shown a propensity for pure worship, although, in view of the situation decried by Zephaniah, obviously he had not yet started his religious reforms. All of this suggests that Zephaniah prophesied in Judah during the early years of Josiah, who reigned from 659 to 629 B.C.E. The energetic prophesying of Zephaniah undoubtedly heightened young Josiah’s awareness of the idolatry, violence, and corruption that prevailed in Judah at that time and encouraged his later campaign against idolatry.—2 Chronicles 34:1-3.

Reasons for Jehovah’s Burning Anger

4. In what words did Jehovah express his anger against Judah and Jerusalem?

⁴ Jehovah had good reason to feel anger toward the leaders and inhabitants of Judah and its capital city Jerusalem. Through his prophet Zephaniah, he stated: “I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and I will cut off from this place the remaining ones of the Baal, the name of the foreign-god priests along with the priests, and those who are bowing down upon the roofs to the army of the heavens, and those who are bowing down, making sworn oaths to Jehovah and making sworn oaths by Malcam.”—Zephaniah 1:4, 5.

5, 6. (a) What was the religious situation in Judah at the time of Zephaniah? (b) What was the condition of Judah’s civil leaders and their subordinates?

⁵ Judah was sullied with the degrading fertility rites of Baal worship, demonic astrology, and the worship of the pagan god Malcam. If Malcam is the same as Molech, as some suggest, then Judah’s false worship included the abominable sacrificing of children. Such religious practices were disgusting in Jehovah’s eyes. (1 Kings 11:5, 7; 14:23, 24; 2 Kings 17:16, 17) They incurred his wrath all the more so since the idolaters still made oaths in Jehovah’s name. He would no longer tolerate such religious uncleanness and would cut off pagan and apostate priests alike.

⁶ Moreover, Judah’s civil leaders were corrupt. Her princes were like rapacious “roaring lions,” and her judges were comparable to ravenous “wolves.” (Zephaniah 3:3) Their subordinates were accused of “filling the house of their masters with violence and deception.” (Zephaniah 1:9) Materialism was rife. Many were taking advantage of the situation to amass wealth.—Zephaniah 1:13.

Doubts About Jehovah’s Day

7. How long before “the great day of Jehovah” did Zephaniah prophesy, and what was the spiritual condition of many Jews?

⁷ As we have already seen, the disastrous religious situation that prevailed in Zephaniah’s day indicates that he carried out his work as witness and prophet before King Josiah began his campaign against idolatry, about 648 B.C.E. (2 Chronicles 34:4, 5) Likely, then, Zephaniah prophesied at least 40 years before “the great day of Jehovah” came upon the kingdom of Judah. In the interval, many Jews entertained doubts and ‘drew back’ from serving Jehovah, becoming indifferent. Zephaniah speaks of those who “have not sought Jehovah and have not inquired of him.” (Zephaniah 1:6) Evidently, individuals in Judah were apathetic, not troubling themselves about God.

8, 9. (a) Why would Jehovah inspect “men who are congealing upon their dregs”? (b) In what ways would Jehovah give attention to the inhabitants of Judah and their civil and religious leaders?

⁸ Jehovah made known his purpose to inspect those claiming to be his people. Among his professed worshipers, he would seek out those who in their hearts harbored doubts as to his ability or intention to intervene in human affairs. He stated: “It must occur at that time that I shall carefully search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will give attention to the men who are congealing upon their dregs and who are saying in their heart, ‘Jehovah will not do good, and he will not do bad.’” (Zephaniah 1:12) The expression “men who are congealing upon their dregs” (a reference to wine making) refers to those who have settled down, like dregs at the bottom of a vat, and who do not want to be disturbed by any proclamation of imminent divine intervention in the affairs of mankind.

⁹ Jehovah would give attention to the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem and to their priests who had mixed his worship with paganism. If they felt secure, as if under the cover of night within the walls of Jerusalem, he would seek them out as with bright lamps that would penetrate the spiritual darkness wherein they had taken refuge. He would shake them out of their religious apathy, first by awesome messages of judgment, then by executing those judgments.

“The Great Day of Jehovah Is Near”

10. How did Zephaniah describe “the great day of Jehovah”?

¹⁰ Jehovah inspired Zephaniah to proclaim: “The great day of Jehovah is near. It is near, and there is a hurrying of it very much. The sound of the day of Jehovah is bitter.” (Zephaniah 1:14) Bitter days indeed were ahead for everyone—priests, princes, and the people—who refused to heed the warning and return to pure worship. Describing that day of executing judgment, the prophecy continues: “That day is a day of fury, a day of distress and of anguish, a day of storm and of desolation, a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick gloom, a day of horn and of alarm signal, against the fortified cities and against the high corner towers.”—Zephaniah 1:15, 16.

11, 12. (a) What judgment message was pronounced against Jerusalem? (b) Would material prosperity save the Jews?

¹¹ Within a few short decades, the armies of Babylon would invade Judah. Jerusalem would not escape. Its residential and business sections would be devastated. “‘There must occur on that day,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘the sound of an outcry from the Fish Gate, and a howling from the second quarter, and a great crashing from the hills. Howl, you inhabitants of Maktesh [a section of Jerusalem], for all the people who are tradesmen have been silenced; all those weighing out silver have been cut off.’”—Zephaniah 1:10, 11, footnote.

¹² Refusing to believe that Jehovah’s day was near, many Jews were deeply involved in lucrative business ventures. But through his faithful prophet Zephaniah, Jehovah foretold that their wealth would be “for pillage and their houses for a desolate waste.” They would not drink the wine they produced, and “neither their silver nor their gold [would] be able to deliver them in the day of Jehovah’s fury.”—Zephaniah 1:13, 18.

Other Nations Judged

13. What judgment message did Zephaniah pronounce against Moab, Ammon, and Assyria?

¹³ By means of his prophet Zephaniah, Jehovah also expressed his anger against nations that had mistreated his people. He declared: “‘I have heard the reproach by Moab and the abusive words of the sons of Ammon, with which they have reproached my people and kept putting on great airs against their territory. Therefore, as I am alive,’ is the utterance of Jehovah of armies, the God of Israel, ‘Moab herself will become just like Sodom, and the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah, a place possessed by nettles, and a salt pit, and a desolate waste, even to time indefinite. . . . And he will stretch out his hand toward the north, and he will destroy Assyria. And he will make Nineveh a desolate waste, a waterless region like the wilderness.’”—Zephaniah 2:8, 9, 13.

14. What evidence is there that foreign nations ‘put on great airs’ against the Israelites and their God, Jehovah?

¹⁴ Moab and Ammon were Israel’s traditional enemies. (Compare Judges 3:12-14.) The Moabite Stone, in the Louvre Museum in Paris, bears an inscription containing a boastful statement by Moabite King Mesha. He proudly relates his taking several Israelite cities with the help of his god Chemosh. (2 Kings 1:1) Jeremiah, a contemporary of Zephaniah, spoke of the Ammonites’ occupying the Israelite territory of Gad in the name of their god Malcam. (Jeremiah 49:1) As for Assyria, King Shalmaneser V had besieged and taken Samaria about a century before Zephaniah’s day. (2 Kings 17:1-6) A little later, King Sennacherib attacked Judah, took many of its fortified cities, and even threatened Jerusalem. (Isaiah 36:1, 2) The Assyrian king’s spokesman did indeed put on great airs against Jehovah when demanding Jerusalem’s surrender.—Isaiah 36:4-20.

15. How would Jehovah humiliate the gods of nations who had put on great airs against his people?

¹⁵ Psalm 83 mentions a number of nations, including Moab, Ammon, and Assyria, who put on great airs against Israel, and braggingly stated: “Come and let us efface them from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” (Psalm 83:4) The prophet Zephaniah courageously announced that all these haughty nations and their gods would be humiliated by Jehovah of armies. “This is what they will have instead of their pride, because they reproached and kept putting on great airs against the people of Jehovah of armies. Jehovah will be fear-inspiring against them; for he will certainly emaciate all the gods of the earth, and people will bow down to him, each one from his place, all the islands of the nations.”—Zephaniah 2:10, 11.

“Keep Yourselves in Expectation”

16. (a) For whom was the approach of Jehovah’s day a source of joy, and why? (b) What rousing call went forth to this faithful remnant?

¹⁶ While spiritual lethargy, skepticism, idolatry, corruption, and materialism prevailed among the leaders and many of the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem, apparently some faithful Jews listened to Zephaniah’s warning prophecies. They were saddened by the abominable practices of Judah’s princes, judges, and priests. Zephaniah’s pronouncements were a source of comfort to these loyal ones. Far from being a cause for anguish, the approach of Jehovah’s day was a source of joy for them, because it would bring a halt to such detestable practices. This faithful remnant heeded Jehovah’s rousing call: “‘Therefore keep yourselves in expectation of me,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘till the day of my rising up to the booty, for my judicial decision is to gather nations, for me to collect together kingdoms, in order to pour out upon them my denunciation, all my burning anger.’”—Zephaniah 3:8.

17. When and how did Zephaniah’s messages of judgment begin to be fulfilled upon the nations?

¹⁷ Those who heeded that warning were not taken by surprise. Many lived to see the fulfillment of Zephaniah’s prophecy. In 632 B.C.E., Nineveh was taken and destroyed by a coalition of Babylonians, Medes, and hordes from the north, probably Scythians. Historian Will Durant relates: “An army of Babylonians under Nabopolassar united with an army of Medes under Cyaxares and a horde of Scythians from the Caucasus, and with amazing ease and swiftness captured the citadels of the north. . . . At one blow Assyria disappeared from history.” This was exactly what Zephaniah had prophesied.—Zephaniah 2:13-15.

18. (a) How was divine judgment executed on Jerusalem, and why? (b) How was Zephaniah’s prophecy concerning Moab and Ammon fulfilled?

¹⁸ Many Jews who kept themselves in expectation of Jehovah also lived to see his judgments executed upon Judah and Jerusalem. Concerning Jerusalem, Zephaniah had prophesied: “Woe to her that is rebelling and polluting herself, the oppressive city! She did not listen to a voice; she did not accept discipline. In Jehovah she did not trust. To her God she did not draw near.” (Zephaniah 3:1, 2) Because of her unfaithfulness, Jerusalem was twice besieged by the Babylonians and finally taken and destroyed in 607 B.C.E. (2 Chronicles 36:5, 6, 11-21) As for Moab and Ammon, according to Jewish historian Josephus, in the fifth year after the fall of Jerusalem, the Babylonians waged war on them and conquered them. They subsequently ceased to exist, as prophesied.

19, 20. (a) How did Jehovah reward those who kept themselves in expectation of him? (b) Why do these events concern us, and what will be considered in the following article?

¹⁹ The fulfillment of these and other details of Zephaniah’s prophecy was a faith-strengthening experience for Jews and non-Jews who kept themselves in expectation of Jehovah. Among those who survived the destruction that befell Judah and Jerusalem were Jeremiah, the Ethiopian Ebed-melech, and the house of Jehonadab, the Rechabite. (Jeremiah 35:18, 19; 39:11, 12, 16-18) The faithful Jews in exile and their offspring, who continued to wait on Jehovah, became a part of the happy remnant who were delivered from Babylon in 537 B.C.E. and returned to Judah to reestablish pure worship.—Ezra 2:1; Zephaniah 3:14, 15, 20.

²⁰ What does all of this mean for our time? In many ways the situation in Zephaniah’s day corresponds to the detestable things occurring today in Christendom. Moreover, the various attitudes of the Jews in those times bear a resemblance to attitudes that can be found today, sometimes even among Jehovah’s people. These are matters that will be taken up in the following article.

“May Your Hands Not Drop Down”

“May your hands not drop down. Jehovah your God is in the midst of you. As a mighty One, he will save.”—ZEPHANIAH 3:16, 17.

1. What did a Bible scholar state concerning the prophecy of Zephaniah?

ZEPHANIAH’S prophecy pointed far beyond its first fulfillment in the seventh and sixth centuries B.C.E. In his commentary on Zephaniah, Professor C. F. Keil wrote: “Zephaniah’s prophecy . . . not only commences with the announcement of a universal judgment upon the whole world, out of which the judgment rises that will fall upon Judah on account of its sins, and upon the world of nations on account of its hostility to the people of Jehovah; but it treats throughout of the great and terrible day of Jehovah.”

2. What similarities exist between conditions in Zephaniah’s day and the situation within Christendom today?

² Today, Jehovah’s judicial decision is to gather the nations for destruction on a far wider scale than in Zephaniah’s day. (Zephaniah 3:8) Those nations that claim to be Christian are particularly reprehensible in God’s sight. Just as Jerusalem paid a terrible price for its unfaithfulness to Jehovah, so Christendom must answer to God for its profligate ways. The divine judgments pronounced against Judah and Jerusalem in Zephaniah’s day apply with even greater force to the churches and sects of Christendom. They also have sullied pure worship by their God-dishonoring doctrines, many of pagan origin. They have sacrificed millions of their healthy sons on the modern altar of war. Furthermore, the inhabitants of antitypical Jerusalem mix so-called Christianity with astrology, spiritistic practices, and degrading sexual immorality, reminiscent of Baal worship.—Zephaniah 1:4, 5.

3. What can be said of many secular leaders and political governments today, and what did Zephaniah prophesy?

³ Many of Christendom’s political leaders love to be seen in church. But like Judah’s “princes,” a number of them exploit the people like “roaring lions” and ravenous “wolves.” (Zephaniah 3:1-3) The political lackeys of such ones “are filling the house of their masters with violence and deception.” (Zephaniah 1:9) Bribery and corruption are rife. As for political governments inside and outside Christendom, an increasing number of them ‘put on great airs’ against the people of Jehovah of armies, his Witnesses, treating them as a despised “sect.” (Zephaniah 2:8; Acts 24:5, 14) Concerning all such political leaders and their followers, Zephaniah prophesied: “Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them in the day of Jehovah’s fury; but by the fire of his zeal the whole earth will be devoured, because he will make an extermination, indeed a terrible one, of all the inhabitants of the earth.”—Zephaniah 1:18.

“Concealed in the Day of Jehovah’s Anger”

4. What shows that there will be survivors of Jehovah’s great day, but what must they do?

⁴ Not all of the inhabitants of Judah were exterminated in the seventh century B.C.E. Similarly, there will be survivors of Jehovah’s great day. To such ones Jehovah stated by means of his prophet Zephaniah: “Before the statute gives birth to anything, before the day has passed by just like chaff, before there comes upon you people the burning anger of Jehovah, before there comes upon you the day of Jehovah’s anger, seek Jehovah, all you meek ones of the earth, who have practiced His own judicial decision. Seek righteousness, seek meekness. Probably you may be concealed in the day of Jehovah’s anger.”—Zephaniah 2:2, 3.

5. In this time of the end, who were the first to heed Zephaniah’s warning, and how has Jehovah used them?

⁵ In this world’s time of the end, the first to heed the prophetic invitation were the remnant of spiritual Israelites, anointed Christians. (Romans 2:28, 29; 9:6; Galatians 6:16) Having sought righteousness and meekness and having shown respect for Jehovah’s judicial decisions, they were delivered from Babylon the Great, the world empire of false religion, and restored to divine favor in 1919. Since then, and particularly since 1922, this faithful remnant have been fearlessly proclaiming Jehovah’s judgments against the churches and sects of Christendom and against the political nations.

6. (a) What did Zephaniah prophesy concerning the faithful remnant? (b) How has this prophecy been fulfilled?

⁶ Of this faithful remnant, Zephaniah prophesied: “I shall certainly let remain in the midst of you a people humble and lowly, and they will actually take refuge in the name of Jehovah. As regards the remaining ones of Israel, they will do no unrighteousness, nor speak a lie, nor will there be found in their mouths a tricky tongue; for they themselves will feed and actually lie stretched out, and there will be no one making them tremble.” (Zephaniah 3:12, 13) These anointed Christians have always kept Jehovah’s name to the fore, but especially so since 1931, when they adopted the name Jehovah’s Witnesses. (Isaiah 43:10-12) By highlighting the issue of Jehovah’s sovereignty, they have honored the divine name, and this has proved to be a refuge for them. (Proverbs 18:10) Jehovah has fed them spiritually in abundance, and they dwell without fear in a spiritual paradise.—Zephaniah 3:16, 17.

“A Name and a Praise Among All the Peoples”

7, 8. (a) What further prophecy has been fulfilled upon the remnant of spiritual Israel? (b) What have millions of people come to recognize, and what are your own feelings in this regard?

⁷ The remnant’s deep attachment to Jehovah’s name and to the righteous principles of his Word has not gone unnoticed. Sincere people have come to see the difference between the conduct of the remnant and the corruption and hypocrisy of this world’s political and religious leadership. Jehovah has blessed “the remaining ones of [spiritual] Israel.” He has honored them with the privilege of bearing his name, and he has caused them to have a fine reputation among the peoples of the earth. This is as prophesied by Zephaniah: “‘At that time I shall bring you people in, even in the time of my collecting you together. For I shall make you people to be a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I gather back your captive ones before your eyes,’ Jehovah has said.”—Zephaniah 3:20.

⁸ Since 1935, literally millions of people have come to recognize that Jehovah’s blessing is upon the remnant. They gladly follow these spiritual Jews, or Israelites, saying: “We will go with you people, for we have heard that God is with you.” (Zechariah 8:23) These “other sheep” see in the anointed remnant “the faithful and discreet slave,” appointed by Christ “over all his [earthly] belongings.” They thankfully partake of the spiritual food prepared by the slave class “at the proper time.”—John 10:16; Matthew 24:45-47.

9. What “language” have millions of people learned to speak, and in what great work are the other sheep serving “shoulder to shoulder” with the anointed remnant?

⁹ Alongside the remnant, these millions of other sheep are learning to live and speak in harmony with the “pure language.”a Jehovah prophesied through Zephaniah: “Then I shall give to peoples the change to a pure language, in order for them all to call upon the name of Jehovah, in order to serve him shoulder to shoulder.” (Zephaniah 3:9) Yes, the other sheep unitedly serve Jehovah “shoulder to shoulder” with the anointed members of the “little flock” in the urgent work of preaching “this good news of the kingdom . . . for a witness to all the nations.”—Luke 12:32; Matthew 24:14.

“Jehovah’s Day Will Come”

10. Of what have the anointed remnant always been convinced, and what, as a class, will they live to see?

¹⁰ The anointed remnant have constantly kept in mind the apostle Peter’s inspired statement: “Jehovah is not slow respecting his promise, as some people consider slowness, but he is patient with you because he does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance. Yet Jehovah’s day will come as a thief.” (2 Peter 3:9, 10) Members of the faithful slave class have never entertained any doubts about the coming of Jehovah’s day in our time. That great day will begin with the execution of God’s judgments against Christendom, antitypical Jerusalem, and the remainder of Babylon the Great.—Zephaniah 1:2-4; Revelation 17:1, 5; 19:1, 2.

11, 12. (a) What other part of Zephaniah’s prophecy has been fulfilled upon the remnant? (b) How have the anointed remnant heeded the call, “May your hands not drop down”?

¹¹ The faithful remnant rejoice to have been delivered in 1919 from spiritual captivity to Babylon the Great, the world empire of false religion. They have experienced the fulfillment of Zephaniah’s prophecy: “Joyfully cry out, O daughter of Zion! Break out in cheers, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! Jehovah has removed the judgments upon you. He has turned away your enemy. The king of Israel, Jehovah, is in the midst of you. You will fear calamity no more. In that day it will be said to Jerusalem: ‘Do not be afraid, O Zion. May your hands not drop down. Jehovah your God is in the midst of you. As a mighty One, he will save.’”—Zephaniah 3:14-17.

¹² With the conviction and abundant proof that Jehovah is in their midst, the anointed remnant have fearlessly gone forward in fulfilling their divine commission. They have preached the good news of the Kingdom and have made known Jehovah’s judgments against Christendom, the rest of Babylon the Great, and Satan’s entire wicked system of things. Through thick and thin, over the decades since 1919, they have obeyed the divine command: “Do not be afraid, O Zion. May your hands not drop down.” They have not slacked their hand in distributing billions of tracts, magazines, books, and booklets announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom. They have been a faith-inspiring example to the other sheep who, since 1935, have flocked to their side.

“May Your Hands Not Drop Down”

13, 14. (a) Why did some Jews draw back from serving Jehovah, and how did this become manifest? (b) What would it be unwise for us to do, and in what work should we not let our hands drop down?

¹³ While we ‘keep ourselves in expectation’ of Jehovah’s great day, how can we draw practical help from the prophecy of Zephaniah? First, we should beware of becoming like the Jews in Zephaniah’s day who drew back from following Jehovah because they entertained doubts about the nearness of Jehovah’s day. Such Jews did not necessarily express their doubts openly, but their course of action revealed that they did not really believe that Jehovah’s great day was near. They concentrated on amassing wealth instead of keeping themselves in expectation of Jehovah.—Zephaniah 1:12, 13; 3:8.

¹⁴ Today is no time to allow doubts to take root in our hearts. It would be very unwise to put off in our minds or hearts the coming of Jehovah’s day. (2 Peter 3:1-4, 10) We should avoid drawing back from following Jehovah or ‘letting our hands drop down’ in his service. This includes not “working with a slack hand” in our preaching “the good news.”—Proverbs 10:4; Mark 13:10.

Fighting Indifference

15. What could cause us to slack our hand in Jehovah’s service, and how was this problem foretold in the prophecy of Zephaniah?

¹⁵ Second, we should be on guard against the debilitating effects of indifference. In many Western countries, unconcern about spiritual matters can become a cause for discouragement among some preachers of the good news. Such indifference existed in Zephaniah’s day. Jehovah stated through his prophet: “I will give attention to the men who are . . . saying in their heart, ‘Jehovah will not do good, and he will not do bad.’” (Zephaniah 1:12) Writing on this passage in the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, A. B. Davidson stated that it refers to people who have “sunk down into unfeeling indifference or even into incredulity regarding any interference of a higher power in the affairs of mankind.”

16. What state of mind exists among many members of Christendom’s churches, but what encouragement does Jehovah give us?

¹⁶ Indifference is the prevalent attitude today in many parts of the earth, particularly in the more affluent nations. Even members of Christendom’s churches simply do not believe that Jehovah God will intervene in human affairs in our day. They brush off our efforts to reach them with the good news of the Kingdom either with a skeptical smile or with a curt “I’m not interested!” Under these conditions, perseverance in the witnessing work can be a real challenge. It tests our endurance. But by means of Zephaniah’s prophecy, Jehovah invigorates his faithful people, saying: “May your hands not drop down. Jehovah your God is in the midst of you. As a mighty One, he will save. He will exult over you with rejoicing. He will become silent in his love. He will be joyful over you with happy cries.”—Zephaniah 3:16, 17.

17. What fine example should newer ones among the other sheep follow, and how?

¹⁷ It is a fact in the modern-day history of Jehovah’s people that the remnant, as well as older ones among the other sheep, have accomplished a tremendous ingathering work in these last days. All these faithful Christians have shown endurance over the decades. They have not allowed indifference on the part of the majority in Christendom to discourage them. So may the newer ones among the other sheep not let themselves be disheartened by the indifference toward spiritual matters that is so prevalent today in many lands. May they not allow their ‘hands to drop down,’ or fall limp. May they use every opportunity to present The Watchtower, Awake!, and other fine publications specially designed to help sheeplike people learn the truth about Jehovah’s day and the blessings to follow.

Forward While Awaiting the Great Day!

18, 19. (a) What encouragement to endure do we find at Matthew 24:13 and Isaiah 35:3, 4? (b) How will we be blessed if we unitedly go forward in Jehovah’s service?

¹⁸ Jesus stated: “He that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved.” (Matthew 24:13) So, no “weak hands” or ‘wobbly knees’ as we await Jehovah’s great day! (Isaiah 35:3, 4) Zephaniah’s prophecy reassuringly states concerning Jehovah: “As a mighty One, he will save.” (Zephaniah 3:17) Yes, Jehovah will save the “great crowd” through the final phase of “the great tribulation,” when he orders his Son to dash to pieces the political nations who keep “putting on great airs” against his people.—Revelation 7:9, 14; Zephaniah 2:10, 11; Psalm 2:7-9.

¹⁹ As the great day of Jehovah approaches, may we go forward zealously, serving him “shoulder to shoulder”! (Zephaniah 3:9) So doing, we ourselves and countless others will be put in line to be “concealed in the day of Jehovah’s anger” and witness the sanctification of his holy name.